BOOKS

THE Modern Peasant

*WINNER OF THE FORTNUM & MASON FOOD BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2014*

Inspired by those who were bold enough to make that leap, but firmly rooted in London, food writer Jojo Tulloh wondered if some kind of peasant-like self-sufficiency could be achieved for city-dwellers; looking around her she found she was not alone.Beneath Victorian railway arches, on inner city roof tops and on borrowed land, a new breed of food producers were baking bread, making cheese, keeping bees and growing vegetables. Inspired by their success, Jojo watched and learned.

In this evocative and illuminating book, Jojo shares her knowledge of this fast-changing culinary scene. Alongside vivid stories from her visits to producers and tips for baking and pickling, fermenting and foraging, she presents fresh tasting, achievable recipes for modern peasants – sourdough pizzas of nettles and sausage, celebratory paellas of squid and home-grown peppers, chutneys, jam and pickles – and in doing so shows how a food philosophy that takes the best from past traditions can put flavour and excitement back into everyday cooking – even amidst the roar of city life.

EAST END PARADISE

Those of us living in towns and cities might think that the pleasures of growing our own food, watching the seasons pass with the changing produce and getting our hands stuck into the soil are beyond our reach. But a growing number of urban dwellers are realising that there are ways of connecting with the land, and enjoying the sheer pleasure of watching something grow, without giving up the joys of living in the city.

Jojo Tulloh takes us to her inner-city allotment and guides us through a year of cooking, inspired by the food that has sprung from her surprisingly fertile patch of East London waste-ground.